Neath the Pale and Frozen Moon
by zanderlod
Summary: An Imperial from Cyrodiil was busy fighting the Stormcloaks in the province of Skyrim when he discovered an unexpected follower
1. Chapter 1

"My hands are cold."

"All of our hands are cold, stop complaining."

I rubbed my hands together and blew on them. It didn't help much, as I could see my breath forming tiny ice crystals when I exhaled. Those Stormcloak bastards would pay for making us camp out in the Pale while we hunted them down.

"Glatian! Get some more would for the fires!" The Captain yelled in my direction. I sighed and got up. The further away from the fire I got, the less feeling I had in my legs and arms.

"Where the hell am I supposed to get any damned wood out here?" I grumbled to myself as I looked around at the frozen desert that the Nords dubbed The Pale. I was used to the warmer climates of Cyrodiil as I owned a house back in Cheydinhal. It's where my wife and son were now.

I trudged through the waist deep snow to a boulder I saw about fifty meters away. I hoped there might be a few sticks lying on the ground as there were no trees in sight. I almost felt warmer as I approached the frozen rock. As I circled the boulder I realized to my surprise that it wasn't my imagination or even just the fact that I was moving. There was a roaring fire pit behind the boulder. I glanced around. The snow was melted around the pit and I found footprints in the mud left behind. There was a horsehide sack on the ground close by and in it I found meat and apples. I stamped on the pit. Something wasn't right here. If this was the doing of an Imperial then they would be in our camp or at the very least in viewing distance. It could be a smuggler or mercenary of some sort…or it could be a Stormcloak. I picked up the smoking logs and carried them over my shoulder back to the camp, dragging the sack along behind me as well.

"Captain Bekkard!" I shouted as I approached.

"Finally!" He answered. "And what's that you're dragging behind you?"

"I found a camp. I told him when we were face to face. A burning fire, a sack of food…someone's been camping behind us. They were gone when I arrived but if the fire was burning then I'm sure they'll be back soon."

"Alright, get up men!" Bekkard shouted after I'd finished my story. "Someone's been spying on us, and we're going to figure out who and why!"

The men groaned when he told them they had to leave the fire, but were itching for action deep down and didn't protest. I wrapped my hand in cloth and grabbed the iron sword I had laid on the ground near my bedroll. I could feel the cold radiating off of it even through the rags on my hand.

"Who d'you think's spying on us?" One of my fellow soldiers asked me, a Nord by the name of Hjold.

"I don't even know if it was a spy…" I answered. "He left no sign of his intents.

"Wait you're the one who found 'im?" He asked me, excited. "What was he doing?"

"There was no one there, Hjold. Just a burning fire and a sack of meat and apples."

"Then how d'you know he's a spy?"

"Like I said Hjold, I don't. The Captain's assuming he is since no one else would be stupid enough to make a camp out in this frozen wasteland. No one except maybe a poacher but the nearest giant camp is close to a mile away."

"Quiet back there!" Captain Bekkard yelled back to us, and we fell silent. My heart thumped a bit faster as we approached the boulder. Not from fear. I knew we could overcome whoever was camped so close to us. The camp showed no sign of more than one person having stayed there. No, just the thought of battle made my heart race. I knew from a young boy I wanted to join the glorious Imperial army and fight for Cyrodiil and the Empire. I never would have guessed the conditions would be so harsh.

I heard a cry as Bekkard rounded the boulder into the camp and watched as he dragged out a half frozen Bosmer dressed in furs. Bekkard threw him on his back in the snow.

"Filthy Stormcloak spy!" He yelled at him, pointing his steel sword at the Wood Elf's throat. "What are you doing here?"

"S…Stormcloak?" The elf stuttered. "I'm no Stormcloak!"

"Prove it!" Bekkard demanded.

"He's an elf, sir!" Hjold spoke up. "Nords hate elves. They'd never allow one in the Stormcloak ranks."

"That's what makes him a perfect spy." Bekkard answered. "Search him!" The two closest Imperials shook around the Bosmer and searched his clothes.

"Just this sack of dead rabbits, sir." They told him. "Nothing else."

"No one would choose this spot just to hunt rabbits." The Captain grumbled. "I'll ask you one more time before I run you through: what are you doing here?"

"Please…" The elf begged. "Please…I'm just…out catching some rabbits. It's more peaceful out here, away from Dawnstar."

"Ahh I see." Bekkard answered. "Looks like we've got ourselves a poacher, boys. I wonder what the Jarl of Dawnstar would think of you."

"No! Please!" The Bosmer put his hands together above his chest and begged. "The Jarl can hardly eat all of the meat! I...I'm just trying to make a living!"

"Make a living in an honest way, thief." Bekkard snarled.

"I'll never get the chance to if you turn me in!" The elf was trying to plead to Bekkard's kindness. Those of us who knew him knew that it would never work.

"Shoulda thoughta that before you took to poaching. Drag him back to the camp men."


	2. Chapter 2

The morning air was brisk as I got out of my bedroll and stumbled over to the dying fire pit. There was still a burnt chicken leg in the spit from the night before. I took a frozen tomato from a nearby barrel and crushed it between my hands and rubbed the insides onto the chicken leg, hoping to give it some more taste. It wasn't too successful. I heard a muffled cry to my right and saw the Bosmer from last night tied up in Bekkard's tent. His hands were behind his back and there was cloth tied around his mouth. His brown eyes stared up at me and I could tell he hadn't slept a wink last night.

"Hungry?" I asked him. I wasn't unreasonable. Even if he was a criminal, it wasn't as if he had done anything unforgivable. All he'd done was take a few rabbits from a place I was sure the Jarl had never been.

The Bosmer nodded at my question and I entered the tent to untie him. "What's your name?" I asked when I had lowered the leather strap blocking his mouth.

"Galadhron." He answered. "And I thank you for your kindness."

"I don't have much." I grunted as I struggled with the knot holding his hands together. "But I'll give you what I can."

The Wood Elf quickly finished the measly breakfast of frozen vegetables and cheese I offered him. I was lucky none of fellow soldiers seemed to care that I was treating the prisoner with kindness. I had no ideas where Bekkard was.

When the elf was done eating I decided to try to get some information. "The Captain won't have you sent to the Jarl of Dawnstar. He's a Stormcloak supporter. He'll probably keep you with us until we're able to root out the Stormcloaks in the Pale as we don't have the men to send you back to Solitude or Whiterun."

This made the elf shiver. "I don't want to be here. So far you're the only one who's offered me any kindness. And I'm sure when this Captain comes back that'll be the end of it. I was just trying to feed myself. The people of Dawnstar would rather chop off their third finger than give an elf something to eat. Even at the tavern they give me dirty looks. I-"

"Hey!" I turned with a start and saw Bekkard stomping toward me, an angry look in his eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, soldier?" He demanded, infuriated. "Why is this prisoner free?"

"I was just giving him something to eat, sir." I stood up. "He looked hungry."

"Well maybe you should give him the rabbits he stole, hmm?" Bekkard was more angry than I'd seen him Ulfric Stormcloak had escaped his execution at Helgen.

"You aren't going to take him to Dawnstar anytime soon, Captain. He'll need food if he's to survive until then."

"We need food to survive!" Bekkard shouted. "Or have you not noticed that we're out in a frozen wasteland fighting a war that's becoming harder to win everyday?" It took guts to stand up to Bekkard. He was a Nord and the bigger than any of the others in our camp, but I stood my ground.

Bekkard's chilled breath was in my face as he leaned in closer. "Tie him back up." He demanded.

Disobeying a direct order from a Captain wasn't something highly looked upon in the Imperial Legion. Knowing I had no other choice, I sighed and turned around to tie the elf back up. The tent was empty. As I stood there, too astonished to move, Bekkard grabbed my shoulder and shoved me out of the way.

"What are you doing standing there? I told you to-" I watched as his face grew red. "Get that bloody elf back here or I swear to the Divines that you'll be in the Castle Dour dungeon for the rest of your miserable life once we get back to Solitude!" I almost shrunk back at the enormous enraged Nord in front of me.

The snow was as high as my chest in some of the areas out in that frozen desert. Bekkard allowed me one sack of food and three bottles of mead for the journey. He said I could find my own firewood if I wasn't back before night lay over Skyrim. I could see the aurora borealis already starting to appear on the horizon. I didn't have long before the temperature dropped too low for me to survive with a fire.

I tripped over a buried rock and fell flat on my face. I lay there for a moment, not wanting to on. I knew if I didn't get up quickly and find some sort of shelter however, that I was going to freeze to death out here. In fact, I was pretty sure the elf was already dead. The blowing snow had started covering his footsteps almost immediately and about an hour before they'd disappeared completely. I wasn't a very good tracker and I was sure I'd never find him or his body. Maybe it was better to freeze out here than to face Bekkard again….

My father and grandfather had been successful Legionnaires. Of course they never had to face climates like this. Both of them had fought for the Empire against the Aldmeri Dominion when it invaded Cyrodiil. But they'd still been successful. They both made it home. When I'd set out from Cheydinhal and spent my last night with my wife I'd promised her I'd do the same.

I slowly lifted myself off the mound of snow I was lying in and got to my feet. Looking around me I saw nothing of interest, no structures or caves the Bosmer could be hiding in except a faint black mound to my right. I made for it, hoping to find either the elf, or at least somewhere sheltered that I could spend the night.


	3. Chapter 3

I couldn't feel my feet when I finally made it to the black shape. By the looks of it, it used to be some sort of stone tower. Maybe a lookout point. I circled it, trying to find an entrance. There were footprints in the snow on the far side where the wind couldn't reach and I couldn't help but wonder if the Bosmer was inside and if he had a fire going. I followed them and they led to a rotting wooden door. It opened easily enough and I walked carefully and slowly inside the dark tower.

The antechamber I entered wasn't big but there were a few old barrels in it and I quickly searched through them. Everything was frozen. I turned toward the archway that lead further into the ruin and caught a glimpse of something small and glowing floating further in. Intrigued, I followed it. What lay ahead was a hallway with doors that I assumed went to other rooms. At the end was a spiral staircase. The glowing orb travelled up there stairs and I rushed after as if in a trance.

The upper floor was much the same as the first but in reverse, with a ladder at the end of this hall. As I approached the ladder the orb went up, floating through a trap door in the ceiling. I tested the wooden rungs, and, feeling that they would hold my weight, I followed it once again.

The icy wind hit my face as soon as the trap door was opened. Glowing orbs flew everywhere around and I quickly lost track of the one I had been chasing. Fascinated, I climbed all the way up and walked to the center of the circular tower. That's when I noticed what the orbs were circling. It was some sort of glowing form, humanoid from the waist up but under that was…nothing. It floated above the stone floor. It turned around and stared at me. The figure was a beautiful woman. Rags draped across her body and fluttered in the winter wind.

She lifted her arm and suddenly the drifting orbs shot toward me and I felt cold, colder than I'd ever felt before. The orbs latched onto me and I fell onto one knee. I drew my sword and tried to move forward toward the creature but she lifted her arm again and covered my legs in ice. The orbs influence quickly over took me and I collapsed on the icy stone floor.

The first thing I felt was warmth. I saw dancing light behind my closed eyelids and when I opened them I found myself lying beside a fire. I sat up and groaned. My left side was sore beyond belief.

"Be still friend. You took quite a beating." I turned and noticed the Khajiit sitting cross legged on the other side of the fire. He had a pot between his legs and was stirring something that smelled delicious.

"What is that?" I managed to croak out, my throat being dry as a bone.

"This? This is fondue from Aljidar's homeland. It is almost done. Would you like some?"

"It might help."

"Here, drink this." He handed me a rubbery sack. I opened it up and when I put it to my lips fresh water cascaded down into my stomach. I gasped and drank it all as fast as I could.

"Slow down, friend." The Khajiit laughed. I only have a few more of those before I must find more Ice Wraiths to melt. What is your name?

"Glatian. I'm an Imperial. Part of the Legion."

"I can tell. Your armor is that of one. Unless you killed an Imperial and stole his armor." Aljidar laughed again.

"No. No I am part of the Legion. I'm hunting someone down, maybe you've seen him. He's a poacher who escaped our camp."

"A Wood Elf perhaps" The Khajiit asked.

"Yes!" I answered, excited. "You've seen him?"

"He is in one of the other rooms here in this tower. Cowering in a corner near some barrels last time I saw him. Scared of the wisps. Aljidar has a question."

"Yes?"

"Why weren't you? Why did you follow them up to the roof? You were in a tough situation until Aljidar came to your rescue."

"I…I didn't know what they were." I answered, a bit shameful. "I was curious as to what the orb was."

"They are wisps." Aljidar told me. "And the creature was a Wisp Mother. They send out wisps to lure travelers to their dooms. You are Imperial. Are you not from Cyrodiil?

"I am. We don't have Wisp Mothers there."

"But you have Will 'o' the Wisps there. Aljidar has travelled much and he has seen them."

"I live in Cheydinhal. All we ever get there are rumors of them. I guess I should have made the connection…."

"If you had, it would have saved Aljidar much trouble. But he does not mind. The ectoplasm is good for trading."

I got up off the floor and stretched, my muscles popping. I looked around and saw my sword propped up against the wall behind Aljidar.

"You are in no position to be fighting, my friend." He told me as I walked over to grab it. Do not travel far or Aljidar will not be able to help you."

"I'm just taking a trip to visit my Bosmer friend." I told him as I walked out the door and into the hall. "I'll be back shortly."

The hallway was cold and quiet compared to the room with Aljidar. I opened each door on my way down, not knowing which room Galadhron was hiding in. Finding each one empty, I moved up to the second floor. As I climbed the stone staircase, I was eerily reminded of the night before and prayed to the Gods that I wouldn't see another Wisp. The first and second rooms I checked were empty of everything but a couple Skeevers, chewing on old bones in a corner. I ignored them and continued on to the third room.

The door was warmer than the others had been and when I pushed it open I came upon Galadhron by a fire. He jumped when I came in but relaxed when he saw it was me.

"My Imperial friend." He motioned me to sit by him. I thought you were the cat."

I ignored the racist comment and sat down, looking at him as I did so.

"I never did catch your name." He told me, warming a frozen apple above the flames.

"Glatian. Why did you run?"

"They were going to send me to prison. Or kill me by not feeding me. I couldn't just sit by and let that happen."

"I trusted you by untying you." I shook my head. "I almost died trying to track you down on Bekkard's orders."

"I suppose you want me to come back with you. Well I'm not. I'll live out here in the Pale for a few more days and then move on to Riften. Then I can cross the border into Cyrodiil and make a living there. And if that flops I'll go back to Valenwood."

"I can't let you do that, Galadhron. If I go back without you then I'll be charged with treason. If you come back with me then maybe I can convince Captain Bekkard to drop his charges." I was lying through my teeth. But what choice did I have?

"No!" I'm not going back with you! You can't make me!" He drew a dagger and backed into the far wall.

"Look it doesn't have to end like this. Come back with me and we can talk."

"No!" He threw the dagger at me as I stood up. I turned to the side and it clattered on the floor near the door. The Bosmer picked up a bow leaning against a nearby crate and nocked an arrow. "Take another step and I'll shoot!" He was nervous.

I feigned to the right and he fired. Before he could grab another arrow I charged toward him, swinging my sword in a wide arc. It severed his head from his neck and it hit the floor with a thud. I sighed. I didn't see any other way it could have ended. I walked over to the fire and picked up a sack lying next to it. I emptied its contents on the floor. Apples. More apples. I stuffed his head in the sack and walked out of the room, ready to find the Imperial camp again.


	4. Chapter 4

Aljidar was scooping the fondue into two wooden bowls when I went back downstairs. "I assume you have dealt with the elf." He didn't look up from his task.

"I did."

I tossed the sack onto the floor. It landed with a muffled thud. "He didn't surrender."

"A shame. You gave him a chance?"

"Of course I did. I didn't want to kill him. In fact I was the only one who offered him any kindness when my captain dragged him back to our camp. I'm the one who untied him."

"Aljidar did not mean to offend." He told me, looking up. "He just believes all species should be treated equally no who they are."

"They are treated equally in Cyrodiil, where I'm from. If the Stormcloaks win this war, that might change."

"Aljidar has little preference in this war. Fondue?"

I held out my hand and he gave me one of the wooden bowls. Steam drifted off the top of it and I was glad to finally have something warm. Fire raced down my throat as soon as I took the first sip and I choked immediately.

Aljidar laughed. "Most take it as well as you have done. They are not used to the cooking of Elsweyr."

"Aaghh, what is in this?!" I coughed.

"It is generally made with moon sugar, which gives it the spice. Aljidar also sprinkles fire salts to give it a bit more."

I shook my head and put the bowl down. Spice wasn't something I was used to, especially at this magnitude. "I should be getting back to my camp." I told him, standing up.

"And do you remember which direction it lies?" Aljidar asked.

I tried remembering my trek in the Pale the night before but knew I'd never remember enough of the details to find my way back.

"Aljidar will help you. On one condition."

"And what is that?"

"He would like a share of your supplies to get back to Riften. From there he can cross the border into Cyrodiil and make his way home."

"I promise to do what I can. I'm not sure what the Captain Bekkard will be willing to give up, but you saved my life. If he will not give you anything then I will give you my share."

"Aljidar is grateful. He will help you find your camp as soon as he is done his fondue. And yours." He smiled.

We set out around noon. The sun was at its highest and it was as warm as it was going to get out in the fields of snow.

"Your Imperial camp will most likely not be too far away from the north where no snow lies. That is where Aljidar would make it and that is where he will start looking."

We started out and turned north, Aljidar lead and I followed close behind. The snow was almost blinding in certain angles where the sun shone on it, and I found myself shielding my eyes.

"Hold up." The Khajiit lifted his arm and I almost bumped into him, my arm shielding my eyes from the light. His ears twitched. Suddenly a huge white mass leapt from the ground and landed on Aljidar.

Jumping back and pulling out my sword, I grounded my feet as the Saber Cat turned toward me. It charged and I sidestepped, swiping my sword and grazing its face. The cat roared and blood trickled from the wound below its eye. I saw Aljidar stagger up from the corner of my eye and the Saber Cat charged my again, its eyes full of fury. Its paw came up and batted me away as I tried sidestepping again. I looked down at my armor and saw the scratches against the chest plate. Were it not for the steel I would have been killed. Aljidar was fully up and aware again and stood by me. His hands were held out in front of him and emitted a faint glow. When the beast had circled and charged once again, fire erupted from the Khajiit's right hand and caused the Saber Cat to veer away.

It crouched down and I could hear a low growl being admitted from its throat. I readied my sword and Aljidar did the same with his runed hands. As the creature charged for the last time, Aljidar threw out a spike of ice that impaled the cat in the chest. It fell to the ground and slid into my sword, the sharp blade cutting through its throat.

Aljidar walked up to the dead creature and pulled out a flask from the bag on his side.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"If he knows the right people, one can get quite a few septims for eyes and teeth of Saber Cats. For their fur as well. Aljidar can take these and offer to trade them to your Captain for supplies to get to Riften."

When he was done his work, we continued on our way. I could just see a black line in the distance, marking the end of the snow.

"Your camp should not be too far now." Aljidar told me, turning his head back to face me. They have camped near trees?"

"And a few rocks."

"Aljidar knows of a group of trees and rocks to the west. It is where he camped when he came through before the Imperials and Stormcloaks. Let us check there first."

We continued on in silence for awhile, broken only by the sound of our feet thudding in the heavy snow. A deer bounded through the snow to our left and an arrow whizzed by and stuck through its neck. The now scarlet snow stood out in the barren wasteland. Aljidar had dropped into a crouch and held his hands ready again. Hjold sprinted out of a nearby bush. He must've been hunting the deer, but stopped dead when he saw us.

"Glatian!" He shouted. "Where have you been! Captain Bekkard pronounced you dead! And who is this?" He looked at Aljidar.

"His name is Aljidar. I would've been dead if he hadn't found me. I got the elf." I held up the sack. "Can you lead us back to camp?"

"Of course. Help me this deer."

Bekkard nodded at the Saber Cat's eyes and pelt. "I'll trade you. But not a lot. We need this food to last until we've rooted out the last of the Stormcloaks in the Pale."

"Aljidar can help with that. He has seen another camp south of you. It could be the Nords…the Stormcloaks." He had just noticed that Bekkard was also a Nord.

"Good…" Bekkard nodded to himself. "Take what you can carry, Khajiit, but nothing more. Men, we set out tomorrow at first light! For the Empire! For victory!


	5. Epilogue

The gates of Windhelm stood barred in front of us. The bridge had been taken and Ulfric had nowhere left to run. A group of men held a battering ram and I watched from the side as they swung it against the doors to the city. My sword was at the ready as the wood of the doors splintered.

Bekkard stood to my right and breathed heavily. I had watched him take down five Windhelm guards single-handedly. A shout came up behind us and I watched as a figure ran up. A hood covered their face and blonde hair fell out either side. Scaled armor I had never seen before covered a slender frame and a jagged bone colored sword hung at their waist.

"Dragonborn…" Bekkard whispered and I looked on in awe. This was going to be my son's favorite story when I finally got home to Cyrodiil. She pushed her hood back and approached General Tullius. I watched as they spoke and he ordered the battering ram to be set down. Confused whispers sprung up from many of the soldiers. The Dragonborn stood in front of the doors and suddenly a roar came from her throat and the doors were blown inwards, knocking back many of the Stormcloaks waiting on the far side.

Tullius raised his sword and issued a battle cry. We answered and charged behind him, ready to reclaim Skyrim for the good of the Empire.

_Authors Note: I hoped you enjoyed this fan fiction as much as I enjoyed writing it. I may follow up or do another Elder Scrolls story sometime. I had originally planned on ending the story when Glatian and Aljidar get back to the camp but as I was playing the other day I thought of how awesome it would be to blow open doors with Unrelenting Force and got the idea to write an epilogue showing my Dragonborn do exactly that. See you all in Sovngarde! _


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